Organic Fertilizer

Do you have a local place that sells lawn, garden, and pet type stuff? We have a place called ZamZows, and they do garden and pet. Their stuff is kid and pet friendly and even has a program that you sign up for, and they will give you a call when you need to do stuff throughout the year, like fertilize, etc. Plus, you can borrow a spreader instead of having to buy it and store it yourself. This is our first year trying out the program after leaving one of the ChemLawn type places.

Good for you! I switched to all organic when I learned that the 2 biggest polluters of our groundwater are lawn care products and dog poop that people don't pick up. Yikes!

I'm in the same quandary as you as to brand, but I would add that I do compost all my kitchen scraps and use that to add to the lawn. I also mulch my leaves big time with the mower and let that organic matter work its way in. A good metal grass rake will help break things up too. I often do my leaves 2-3 times in the fall to break them up into small enough pieces to help and not cause problems like dead spots and leaf mold.

Also, you probably need lime even if they haven't told you so. It's pretty cheap. I used pelletized lime because there is less dust than the powdered stuff - if you do it right before a rainstorm, it washes in. I wouldn't do it before one of these massive 3-day storms we've had lately though - it would wash away. We have so many pines in New England that create an acid soil - so the lime balances that out. It's okay if the lime gets into your gardens too - you don't have to be too accurate with the spreader so it's fast.

Good luck!

I'm in the same boat as you. I've heard several garden shows that rave about an organic fertilizer called Cock-a-doodle-Doo. They have a website. I'm only beginning my research, but, like I said, I've heard it recommended from several sources.

Your best bet for maintaining that lawn in the future is to add organic matter. That could be a sprinkling of dirt from the compost pile, or bagged composted manure. In the fall, instead of raking your leaves, run the lawnmower over them. They'll be broken down by spring.

Hi N., Here are a few products, Bradfield Organics has a whole line, and Espoma also has lawn options. Check out the smaller mom and pop garden centers. You will find many of the cheaper ones are mostly chicken liter, look for ones that contain a plant base, in my option they work a little better and stick around in the soil a little longer. If you have an Agway in your area that is a good place to start.